Wimbledon winner from Georgia. Alexander Metreveli. Tennis as a vocation Alexander Metreveli sports commentator

The European Championships among boys and girls under 16 years of age, held for the third time in Moscow on the courts of the Juan Antonio Samaranch National Tennis Center, were often attended by eminent guests. The championship was attended by the mayor of the capital Yuri Luzhkov, the president of the FTR Shamil Tarpishchev came, our famous tennis player Yevgeny Kafelnikov came... And now, for several days now, Alexander Metreveli, our legendary athlete, Wimbledon finalist, and now the most popular and, of course, the most high-profile tennis television commentator. No, he appeared on the courts near the Northern River Station, as they say, not for work. He has a personal interest here. The fact is that Alik’s grandson, as many people call him in a friendly manner, Sandro, aka Alexander, aka Metreveli Jr., is taking part in the youth championship of the Old Continent.

The 15-year-old tennis player defeated the Italian Federico Margini in the starting circle - 6:2, 6:3, and then, however, lost to the strong Romanian - Alexander Porumba, who in 2007 was the champion of the European Championship under the age of 14. Moreover, Sandro led in the first set - 5:3, but was unable to maintain the advantage and lost in the tiebreaker. In the second game, inspired by success, the 16-year-old representative of Romania brought the matter to victory - 6:1. Nevertheless, Metreveli's performance was remembered by many - Sandro demonstrates varied, interesting and, one might say, smart tennis. He also has victories in pairs. Observers agree that Sandro has a future, and the saying “nature rests on the children of geniuses” is inappropriate in this case.

RG correspondents spoke with Metreveli Jr.

Russian newspaper: How upset are you, Sandro?

Alexander Metreveli: At first it was very strong, but now I don’t worry anymore. I know what I need to work on.

RG: But he had a great opening match.

Metreveli: Yes, although I was a little tense in the first match.

RG: Of course, you were named after your grandfather?

Metreveli: Yes. You know, when grandpa watched, I wanted to show the maximum I could do.

RG: Where do you train?

Metreveli: In Tbilisi at the Dynamo club. In Russia, my grandfather has an academy in Tolyatti: I trained there, as well as in Samara, for a year - very good courts, good club, good academy. A year later I returned to Georgia, now I study there and play tournaments. My mother and father, my whole family, are in Georgia; we have always lived there. In general, I like living in Tbilisi better - everything is native there.

RG: Sandro, you have such, one might say, varied tennis. What would you call your playing style?

Metreveli: I like to play near the net, and when I’m on the back line, I spin really hard and try to hit powerfully. In general, clay is suitable for this style, but I like hard more.

RG: Tell us about your competitions on the tour.

Metreveli: I don't play very many tournaments. Now I have moved to the under 18 category. In total, he participated in six tournaments. And this year in two more ITF competitions in Israel. In the first, he reached the quarterfinals in singles and the semifinals in pairs. In the second - he reached the final in singles and won a pair - together with Nikita Kushnarev from Rostov, he will be 16 years old in August.

RG: Your dad, Irakli, is he the captain of the Georgian youth team?

Metreveli: Yes, dad is a coach, he trains me, another boy from Russia - Nikita Kushnarev, and also two guys from Georgia. He started studying with me when I was five years old. He's mine and personal coach, and dad, he’s everything to me!

RG: You even have generational continuity in your names...

Metreveli: Yes, grandfather is Alexander Iraklievich, dad is Irakli Alexandrovich, and I am Alexander Iraklievich, like a grandfather.

RG: Is it harder to play when grandpa is watching the match?

Metreveli: This makes me a little tense and constrained. But anyway - let him come.

RG: Have you ever played with him?

Metreveli: He rarely comes to Georgia. But when he comes, he comes to my training sessions and makes comments. We played with him once... His knee hurts, he can’t run fast, and I won (laughs). Grandfather didn’t give in, he just really couldn’t run because of his knee.

RG: What advice does he give?

Metreveli: Corrects equipment. He says “bend your legs”, “turn your shoulders”. He doesn't say anything about tactics.

RG: What is he like, your grandfather?

Metreveli: Strict.

RG: And dad?

Metreveli: Depends on mood. If I play well, and he sees that everything is fine with me, that I haven’t changed anything technically, then dad is in a good mood. And when I change something in vain, then he scolds me.

RG: Do you watch broadcasts of the Russian tennis channel? Who do you like best among the commentators?

Metreveli: Well, of course, grandfather! And when someone else comments, I just don’t listen - I just watch the match.

RG: Have you seen your grandfather’s game, for example, his matches at Wimbledon? Do you have such videos at home?

Metreveli: No, I didn’t see it - I just heard it. I watched the Wimbledon mixed doubles final on the website, when my grandfather played against the Romanian Ilie Nastase. True, only a few minutes of the match were shown there. But actually, I really want to watch these videos in their entirety.

RG: By the way, did he introduce you to famous tennis players?

Metreveli: Yes, in 2005 he gave me accreditation for the Masters tournament in Miami. There I met Federer, Rodik, and many others. And when there was a Russia-Serbia match in Moscow, my grandfather introduced me to all Russian team- I especially remember the meeting with Mikhail Youzhny. It was great! I took pictures with everyone.

RG: Who is your favorite current tennis player?

Metreveli: Don't even know. Maybe Roger Federer. I like the way he carries himself on the court. He has excellent technique and plays beautifully.

RG: Is tennis the main thing for you?

Metreveli: Since childhood I wanted to play tennis. Moreover, the family is like that - dad played, uncle, grandfather. I really wanted to play myself. I don't care about anything else. I don’t shy away from training, on the contrary, I always look forward to it.

RG: Do you have time to study?

Metreveli: I don’t go to school - I don’t have time for this, teachers come to my house. In the morning, in the afternoon, training, physical training. And then I take exams at the end of the year.

RG: What are your hobbies besides tennis?

Metreveli: Computers, of course. I also play billiards or go to the movies.

RG: You speak Russian perfectly. What about other Georgian athletes, your peers? By the way, how do you communicate with the guys from Russia?

Metreveli: It seems to me that all Georgians speak Russian normally. And the relations between Georgians and Russians are friendly.

RG: How do you like the organization of the tournament?

Metreveli: Everything is top class! I didn't expect this. The European Junior Championships in Moscow are probably one of the best tournaments. This is the second time in a row that I've been here.

RG: Sandro, do you throw your racket onto the court when something doesn’t work out? It seems like it happened just once...

Metreveli: Sometimes, if you're angry. Dad, of course, says: “No need.” Even if I throw my racket during training, he scolds me.

02.11.2016 11:00

On November 2, Wimbledon finalist and top 10 player Alexander Metreveli turns 72. A wonderful tennis player and an equally outstanding commentator.

Without using soil

Nowadays, many tennis players put personal success above team success. During Alexander Iraklievich’s playing career this was impossible. He played 105 matches for the USSR national team! For this and all other indicators, he is the team's record holder. No one has so many matches, so many victories in singles (56) and so many years spent as part of the national team - 14. Alexander Iraklievich absolutely deservedly received an award for his dedication to the Davis Cup. Among Soviet players, only Metreveli and Alexandra Likhacheva, with whom they share the doubles record.

Of course, Metreveli wanted to win the Davis Cup. The best chance was in 1974. The USSR national team needed to beat India to reach the final, but South Africa and Italy played in the other semi-final, and it was impossible to meet the South Africans. “We were told: you must either lose or get sick. Your task is not to meet the South African team. And I was not included in the team. It was 1974, our team had every chance to win the Davis Cup. But the state set us a task: not to win at any cost,” recalls Metreveli.

Politics prevented us from winning the Davis Cup

Politics also affected individual tournaments. Alexander Iraklievich became the first player in the history of Wimbledon who did not take the court for precisely this reason - he was not allowed to meet with a representative of South Africa. True, it was at a junior tournament. As for adult Wimbledon, he declared himself publicly in 1973. He reached the final and according to all scenarios he should have beaten Yana Kodesha, but gave in.

Alexander Metreveli

Born November 2, 1944 in Tbilisi, USSR.
Start professional career: 1962 Completion: 1980.
In singles, 189 wins and 97 losses.
Number of titles: 15.
Highest rated number: 9 (June 3, 1974).

Tournaments « Grand Slam»:
Australian Open- semi-final (1972).
Roland Garros - semi-final (1972).
Wimbledon - final (1973).
US Open - quarterfinals (1974).

It is still unpleasant for Metreveli to remember that match, because he missed a great opportunity to win the Slam. Yes, the final still allowed us to enter the world top ten, and this is also a significant achievement, but today’s birthday boy probably wanted more.

Surprisingly, he reached the Wimbledon final four times in total - once again in the junior ranks and twice in mixed doubles. In all cases, his opponents turned out to be stronger. In mixed doubles he played with Olga Morozova. “We first met him at a training camp in 1965. He was then a young and promising athlete, but already a star, and I was just invited to the training camp. I can’t say that we became direct friends then, but it was at that time that our first acquaintance took place. Then in the winter of the same year I participated in an international tournament for the first time, and he and I tried to play mixed doubles. Alas, it was unsuccessful. We thought that we should do well, but it didn’t work out, we lost in the first round.

Nowadays mixed doubles is mostly played by only doubles players, but back then all the world's leading tennis players played in all levels. Plus, in those days, of course, the players of the world elite and those who were just starting to make their way to the top were not spoiled by high prize funds.

He is talented, he is Georgian, and he is older than me. On the court I had to listen to him all the time. It was very difficult to play with him psychologically; on the other hand, he took over not half the court, but three quarters or even more. All I had to do was not to screw up my quarter. And then, I couldn’t even imagine that Metreveli might not accept the serve. It just didn't fit in my head. Or, for example, I couldn’t even think that he would give up the game on his serve. This was an axiom! Probably, on the one hand, it was easy with him, but on the other, it was very difficult. But here you need to understand that he was a great talent and demanded a corresponding return in relation to himself,”

Aleksandr Metrovely Career: Tennis
Birth: Russia, 2.11.1944
Honored Master of Sports of the USSR A.I. Metreveli was awarded the Order of the Badge of Honor, medals “For Labor Valor”, “For Labor Distinction”. He was one of the first foreigners to be awarded the title of honorary citizen of Australia.

Born on November 2, 1944 in Tbilisi. Father - Metreveli Irakli Petrovich (born 1917). Mother - Metreveli Anna Tikhonovna (born 1921). Wife - Vardosanidze Natella Grigorievna (born 1943). Sons: Metreveli Irakli Alexandrovich (born 1967), Metreveli Alexander Alexandrovich (born 1976).

Alexander Metreveli is a unique phenomenon in the history of domestic and world tennis. He is the only one of the first amateur tennis players from Eastern Europe who, with impressive victories at high-ranking tournaments and brilliant performances at the Davis Cup, managed to gain a high rating and enter the top ten of the best professional tennis players.

Alexander Metreveli, unlike his eminent rivals, did not enjoy all the benefits that are showered upon representatives of countries rich in tennis traditions. And this is not amazing, considering in which state and at what time the future tennis star began her sports career. And he managed to do the impossible in practice thanks to his fanatical love of tennis, innate talent and natural abilities, refusal of life's pleasures and loyalty to the sports regime.

Alexander Metreveli has been playing tennis since he was 10 years old. His first mentor was A. Khangulyan. Under his leadership, the aspiring tennis player played for DSO "Dynamo" (Tbilisi). His best result in those years was victory in the USSR Championship among juniors in singles (1961).

The athlete, who was rapidly gaining momentum, already in 1962 entered the top ten strongest tennis players of the USSR and did not leave it for 18 years, and in 1966-1967 and 1969-1978 he headed it.

During this same period of time, there were dozens of brilliant victories of A. Metreveli in tennis courts country where he had no equal throughout his entire career sports career. This is confirmed by a unique collection of titles and titles: undisputed champion of the Spartakiad of the Peoples of the USSR (1975), 29-time champion of the USSR in singles (1966-1967, 1969-1976, 1978, 1980), doubles (1967-1968, 1970-1977) and mixed (1970-1973, 1975-1976) categories, 6-time full champion (1970-1973,1975-1976), finalist of the USSR championships in singles (1963, 1965, 1968), doubles (1963) and mixed (1966, 1968) , 1977) categories, 10-time winner of the All-Union winter competitions in singles (1964, 1966-1968, 1970, 1978), doubles (1967-1968, 1970, 1980) and mixed (1967) categories, winner of the Moscow Open Winter Championship 1963 in singles.

Alexander Metreveli was 18 years old when he made his debut in the USSR national team. Starting in 1963 and for 14 years, he defended the honor of the national team at the Davis Cup and never remained on the bench.

In terms of the number of Davis Cup matches, he should be considered a world record holder. 105 (!) meetings at tournaments of this rank is a truly fantastic result, one that brings Alexander Metreveli into the top five best tennis players of all time. Only Italian Nicollo Petrangeli, Romanian Ilie Nastase and Spaniard Manuel Santana participated more in Davis Cup matches than him. Alexander Metreveli first met with the tennis player of the 1st Davis Cup N. Petrangeli in 1968 in Italy, and out of three sets he lost only two games, winning the match with a clear advantage.

It is also noteworthy that the permanent leader of the Soviet team, unlike his foreign rivals, was not always given the opportunity to participate in competitions. As a result of political “games,” the Soviet team and its leader were sometimes left out of the game. In 1965, the USSR national team did not participate in the Davis Cup at all. In 1976, she reached the semi-finals of the Cup, but she suffered a “fatal” lot. The Chilean team was not the opponent that could defeat the Soviet team, which was on the rise, despite the fact that the country’s sporting interests were sacrificed to political ambitions.

It is also noteworthy that standing at the peak sports uniform The USSR national team, whose leading force was two Georgian tennis players - Alexander Metreveli and Teimuraz Kakulia, and which really claimed to win the Davis Cup, “for some reason” did not take part in the competition in 1977 and 1978.

Reaching the semi-finals of the Davis Cup was a major achievement in itself; this required victory in the European zone. After A. Metreveli had a worthy partner in the national team in the person of Teimuraz Kakulia, the Soviet team twice achieved success in the European zone, defeating the strongest opponents in the fight.

The highest achievement of Alexander Metreveli was reaching the final of the 1973 Wimbledon tournament in singles. In the semi-finals, he forced the main contender for the Wimbledon crown, the famous American D. Connors, to sheath the racket. Ahead was a summit with a well-known rival and friend - Ya. Kodysh.

The Soviet tennis player was obviously on the rise and had already beaten the Czech more than once, including in the previous Wimbledon. Therefore, as a result of a survey conducted among journalists, 81 percent of them gave preference to A. Metreveli. However, their predictions were not destined to come true. In “normal” matches, Alexander, who always captivated the audience with his unusual lightness, freedom, confidence, combination of the finest “game lace” with powerful crushing blows, confident actions anywhere on the site, seem to have been replaced.

“In that match, something incomprehensible and beyond my control was happening to me,” said A. Metreveli. “Of course, in it I saw the “match of my life,” and this created, as under no circumstances, a tense psychological situation. The excitable take-off that is familiar to me , natural excitement gave way to some kind of equanimity, moreover - apathy. An unusual cohesion was felt in the muscles, movements slowed down and lost their usual freedom. I struggled with myself, instead of returning all my strength to the fight with my opponent. I didn’t show what I’m capable of! That’s what’s offensive.”

This resentment haunted Alexander Metreveli for a long time. However, with his determination, perseverance, the most worthy sportsmanship he did everything possible to rise to the tennis Olympus and contribute to strengthening his authority Soviet sports. Evidence of this is the impressive list of his titles won at numerous international tournaments: 3-time finalist of the Wimbledon tournament in singles (1973) and mixed (1968, 1970), 16-time European champion in singles (1970-1971, 1973, 1975, 1977-1978), doubles (1970, 1972, 1974, 1976-1977) and mixed (1970-1974), full European champion (1970), winner of the Scandinavian and Swedish open championships (1966) in singles, Asian champion (1970 ) in singles and mixed doubles, semi-finalist of the open championships of Italy (1968, 1970), Australia and France (1972) in singles, semi-finalist of the open championships of France (1966, 1974) in pairs and the USA (1975) in mixed doubles, winner of the five Australian tournament states (1971-1972), open championship ARE (1971), Kent County (Backham, 1972-1973) in singles, Cairo Open (1972) in singles and mixed, finalist of the John Player tournament (1974) in singles, 16-time winner of the summer international tournament in singles (1965-1967, 1970-1971, 1973-1974), doubles (1967-1968, 1970-1971) and mixed (1964, 1966, 1970-1971, 1973) categories, 10-time winner of the winter international tournament in singles (1966, 1968, 1971), doubles (1967, 1970-1972) and mixed (1968, 1970-1971) categories, bronze medalist of the 1974 world tennis championship.

As part of the national team youth team USSR A. Metreveli won the Galea Cup (1964). Defending the honor of the USSR national team in 1963-1980, he played 105 matches, achieving a record result for Soviet tennis players - 78 victories (with 27 defeats). In 1974, for the first time in the history of Soviet tennis, he took 9th place in the important classification of tennis players.

In the Davis Cup, A. Metreveli replaced three generations of tennis players. Participating in competitions together with Thomas Leius and Sergei Likhachev, Teimuraz Kakulia and Vladimir Korotkov, Konstantin Pugaev, Vadim Borisov and Alexander Zverev, he was almost undefeated. Metreveli has always been a true leader and, if not for the political situation, in the history of the Davis Cup, the Georgian tennis player would have been the absolute record holder of all time. It's hard to imagine that anyone else has been able to present the game for two decades top class and remain in a leading position.

Alexander Metreveli has a personal creative style, only his manner and playing habits are characteristic. The style is completely natural, it does not contain excessive artistry, but produces an indelible feeling on the audience. For him, tennis is a sport and a performance that should give the viewer aesthetic pleasure. The organic fusion of these two components of the game fueled Metreveli’s tennis style.

On the court, A. Metreveli always remained a personality. With his sharp combinations, unexpected and well-calibrated moves and blows, and intellect, he won the respect of everyone who worked with him all the way. He was true to the gentlemanly ethic of tennis.

Alexander Metreveli was most accurately described by the outstanding athlete and commentator People's Artist of the USSR Nikolai Ozerov: “Metreveli is a tennis player from God. When you watch his game, you experience true bliss. This is not a simple entertainment. This is high art. Here there is everything that is inherent great art, tennis: formidable attacks, skillful armor, filigree technique and, in the end, bright invention, subtle improvisation, without which real art is unthinkable. Metreveli is the first among Soviet tennis players who managed to fully master the technical and tactical intricacies of the universal game and demonstrate in practice many of the advanced ideas of tennis of the 1960-1970s."

By the age of 35 A.I. Metreveli left sports arena. Left undefeated. But he never abandoned the greatest passion of his life and never lived a day without thinking and caring about the development of tennis. In 1981-1982 he was a coach at the School of Higher Education sportsmanship and the Georgian national team. From 1982 to 1987, he was deputy chairman of the Georgian Sports Committee, vice-president of the All-Union Tennis Federation, and member of the steering committee of the International Tennis Federation. Over the course of a number of years, A.I. Metreveli was a consultant to the Uzbekistan national team and an advisor to the chairman of the Committee on Tourism and Sports of the Russian Federation.

Alexander Iraklievich under no circumstances lost ties with close Georgia. Thanks to him, huge tennis established itself in the republic. His merit lies in the fact that Tbilisi often hosted participants in the prestigious Davis Cup competitions, and Georgian sports fans and tennis players more than once had the opportunity to see with their own eyes the play of recognized masters.

By education A.I. Metreveli is a newspaperman. In 1968 he graduated from Tbilisi State University. In 1988-1992, he was a columnist for the Georgian Telegraph Agency and now acts as a physical education commentator on the NTV channel. His tennis reports confirm that he has considerable skill and is a real master of his craft.

Honored Master of Sports of the USSR A.I. Metreveli was awarded the Order of the Badge of Honor, medals “For Labor Valor”, “For Labor Distinction”. He was one of the first guests of our country and was awarded the title of honorary citizen of Australia.

Lives and works in Moscow.

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Of the seventy-one years of his life, 66 are devoted to sports. Alexander Iraklievich Metreveli is the most titled Soviet tennis player, whose talent Nikolai Ozerov called gifted by God. His name is associated with the emergence of domestic tennis on the world stage after the All-Union Federation became part of the international federation in 1956. What is known about this legendary athlete and television commentator?

Biography pages

The Georgian boy, born in Tbilisi in November 1944, was very athletic since childhood. He ran quickly, jumped excellently, following in everything his older brother, who was the first to pick it up tennis racket. Parents - Irakli Petrovich and Anna Tikhonovna - encouraged their sons. The time was such that one could only make it through one’s own labor and talent. When Alexander was 10 years old, his brother brought him to his coach, Aram Khangulyan. He not only taught tennis, but also nurtured his students into personalities.

Alexander Metreveli, for whom tennis became his life's work, started late by today's standards, but he already had many achievements in other sports. With Hangulyan, he was the youngest in the group, so from the very beginning he had to meet a certain level. In tennis, everything in which he excelled came together for the young man: the speed of a sprinter, the endurance of a stayer and the quick thinking of a chess player. Later, he himself would divide his life in sports into three periods. The first (1955 - 1960) was the time of learning the basics, when he firmly decided to connect his life with tennis.

Sports success

Alexander Metreveli considers the second period to be 1960 - 1965, when he managed to enter the all-Union arena. Already in 1961 he became the winner of the USSR among youths, and since 1962 he has been among the Top 10 best tennis players in the country. Starting from 1966, the third stage followed, during which he achieved serious victories in the international arena over stars of the first magnitude. He won the title five times in singles and reached the final six times, including Wimbledon (1973). He will come close to the Grand Slam title twice and in doubles.

He lacked the experience to win Wimbledon. Due to possible rain, tournament organizers have scheduled the final match between Metreveli and Jan Kodes from Czechoslovakia to be postponed to the next day. With this development of events, the men's and women's finals had to take place simultaneously, which is not entirely convenient. Therefore, it was decided not to cancel the game, but the Soviet athlete had already lost the necessary spirit. He fought desperately, losing the second set with a score of 8:9, which indicates a stubborn fight between two equal opponents. A year later, at the Davis Cup, Metreveli will be able to take revenge, but that will be a different story.

The best tennis player of the USSR

Since 1972, it has been introduced to determine the best tennis players on the planet by ranking them among themselves. Alexander Metreveli in 1974 will take 9th place in the world table of ranks, which will be his best achievement in a career. Playing until he was 35, he would remain undefeated in his own country. 29 victories at the national championship, including 17 in singles, are the result of his sporting longevity. Absolute champion The USSR Spartakiads, a multiple European champion, will consider the Davis Cup games for the country's main team to be the main matches in his life.

In the interview, he will describe the special feelings he experienced on the eve of the team competition: a combination of pride and trepidation. It was impossible to let down his country, for which he would fight 105 times. An Honored Master of Sports, he will be one of the first to be inducted into the Tennis Hall of Fame on NTV+.

Today, fans are accustomed to the fact that tennis players from the top hundred are quite wealthy people. Their prize money for winning tournaments allows them to live comfortably for the rest of their lives. The earnings for the sports careers of current leaders have been published. Thus, Roger Federer earned 90.9 million dollars, Novak Djokovic - 79.4. Things are no worse in women's tennis: Serena Williams has 69.7 million dollars in prize money, Maria Sharapova - 35.1. And how were things in the 70s, especially among Soviet athletes, because there was no official professional sports? Alexander Metreveli says that even for reaching the Wimbledon final he did not receive anything, since the athlete had a choice: prize money or daily allowance.

The tournament organizers provided the athletes with equipment, and this was already a great success, because domestic balls, racquets and uniforms could not compete on the international stage. The sports committee did not know what to do with the prize money when they actually had to receive it. This problem only occurred among chess and tennis players. From Rome, Metreveli had to carry money across the border in a suitcase because there was no money transfer system. Officials of the Sports Committee bargained for a long time over how much money could be left to the athlete, and as a result they allocated 30%. This was his first prize money, with which he bought a latest model Volga.

Commentator's profession

Before the collapse of the USSR, the great athlete lived in Georgia, where in 1968 he trained as a journalist after graduating from Tbilisi State University. Immediately after completing his sports career, he worked in the ministry and then the sports committee of Georgia. His debut coincided with big victory football team Dynamo on the international stage, which inspired him in his work. There he married Natella Grigorievna Vardosanidze, with whom he raised two sons - Irakli, born in 1967, and Alexander, born in 1976. Now the young Alexander Metreveli (tennis) is in the third hundred of the world rankings. Commentator Metreveli Sr. is his own grandfather, this is the son of his eldest Irakli.

After the collapse of the USSR, a former partner in mixed doubles invited Alexander Metreveli to try himself on television as sports journalist. So he and his family moved to Moscow. Now he has more than 10 thousand broadcasts under his belt. Metreveli tried to comment different kinds sports, including football, but it did not bring satisfaction because there was a lack of professional knowledge. But tennis is his element. While working for NTV, he often had to commentate on tournaments together with Anna Dmitrieva. Their duet is known as "ADAM". They argued on air, defending their views on what was happening on the court, making the reports lively and exciting. In these disputes, Alexander Metreveli was often more convincing.

On November 2, the 1973 Wimbledon finalist and famous TV commentator turns 70 years old.

N and at the Kremlin Cup, we sat down in a corner of the press center - and the quieter Metreveli spoke, the more glances there were in our direction.

Much younger people called out: “Alik, hello!”

We were sorry that we barely met. And we have no right to “Alik”. I want to be friends with such a person. Calling not only for anniversaries. It was clear within ten minutes.

During the three hours of conversation, the anniversary became even closer. And Metreveli’s eyes are sadder.

GREEN FLIES

I can’t believe that I’m about to turn 70,” Alexander Iraklievich said sadly.

- Nobody believes it, - we supported. - The other day we congratulated Boris Mikhailov, your peer. He was clear: “In my heart I’m just over fifty.”

I have never analyzed how much is “in my soul.” I just don’t understand how 70 years could fly by so quickly. For the first time I thought seriously about the age at which a pension had to be taken out. I haven't gone for a year. Then I figured: what’s wrong? A pension does not stop you from working. And he designed it himself, and he forced Anya Dmitrieva to do it.

- Will you celebrate your anniversary on a grand scale?

There are a lot of friends in Tbilisi, they are organizing something at the government level. But they don’t go into details.

- Do you live there now?

While I was busy on the tennis channel, I lived in Moscow. From here I constantly traveled abroad. There are almost no broadcasts these days. The whole family is in Tbilisi. Well, what's the point of sitting here?

- Is your hometown completely different from what it was in your youth?

Tbilisi has lost face.

- Eh.

That's how all old people strum. But the main thing is really lost! I didn’t like walking with my father - it took half an hour to walk a hundred meters. You need to stop and chat with everyone, the city is full of acquaintances... Today they don’t walk. Previously, taxi drivers in Tbilisi didn’t even take money from visitors! They were pleased to do something for the guest. Now this is out of the question. We meet Tbilisi residents of my generation at funeral services. Less often - on anniversaries.

- Whose death was particularly difficult for you?

Glory to Metreveli. We were distant relatives - but close people. Actually, all Metreveli came from two high mountain villages. His grandfather settled in Khosta, we - in Tbilisi. But Slava was eventually given an excellent apartment there on the embankment.

TO towards the end of his life he was plagued by headaches. We went to Tskhaltubo. That's where I saw how he knows how to take offense. And in the summer there are many disabled people there, taking baths. And this is winter. Can you imagine the audience? In the evening, Slava suddenly went to the sanatorium for a dance. They didn't let him in!

- Who?

Watchman You, he says, don’t live here. You have nothing to do at the dance. Slava was terribly upset. He almost burst into tears - they didn’t recognize him! I exhorted: “Don’t be upset. Who guards the sanatorium in Tskhaltubo in winter? A very simple person. He doesn’t know anyone.” Somehow I calmed him down and we went somewhere together. Definitely not for dancing. In the morning we returned to Tbilisi. Soon Slava died.

- Which other players did you communicate with?

With Yashin. Brezhnev's visit to Delhi was being prepared. Athletes and artists were always sent the day before to create a friendly background. First a call from the Komsomol Central Committee, then from the Georgian Central Committee: “Fly.”

I played in India before - I was received at the highest level. And here a youth organization was taking care of us. They settled in some hole, neither hot water, nor cold. There is no food. Yashin and I looked into the cafe and recoiled - the meat was covered with green flies. Stink! They survived the day, Komsomol members are being taken to three rallies, and we are being taken to five. They throw flowers.

- It's nice.

Yes, they are dirty and wet! There is nothing to wash in the hotel. And Yashin’s health was already rather bad; the doctors allowed him a little vodka. Lev Ivanovich brought a small suitcase with him. They took out vodka, dipped a towel in it and dried themselves off. If you wipe yourself once, it’s a black towel. So they got dirty at the rallies.

I couldn’t stand it and called the president of the tennis federation. Now his son is in charge of Indian tennis, and their power is inherited. He was surprised: “You arrived, but I don’t know?!” - “I need a decent hotel, food and money. If necessary, I’ll play an exhibition match.” He rushed over and organized everything. The trip brought us very close to Yashin.

- Did they know him in India?

Still would!

- There is no football there. One cricket.

There is football there. I went to the Tbilisi stadium when I was little - the Indians had just arrived. We played barefoot. So in the stands the men chipped in to buy boots for the Indians.

Have there ever been conditions in your life that are worse than in Delhi?

Yes! Singapore, Jakarta - such was the poverty! What about Calcutta? There were no hotels there at all. We stayed in guest houses built for employees by the railway company. It got sharply cold at night - by Indian standards. In the morning, a terrible picture appears before my eyes. A cart filled with corpses rolls along. Picks them up along the road. People in rags, sleeping on the street - so they froze to death.

- In Jakarta at that time, people lived along the railway tracks. Turned around incorrectly in a dream - woke up an amputee.

I recently visited those parts and was amazed. Singapore was the first to turn into a fairy tale, and the rest followed suit. And then they really huddled along the tracks. There is a canal in the middle of Jakarta. One washes in it, another cleans something, the third pees in it.

The Rising Nations Games were held in Indonesia. The opening ceremony lasted two hours. The sun is scorching, at some point I feel that we are entering the asphalt! He really started to melt from the heat. We at least thought to wear T-shirts and shorts, but the delegations of China, Vietnam, and North Korea stood in jackets and ties. How did you cope?

From Jakarta we moved to the island and settled in the governor’s residence. We had with us a cameraman who accompanied Khrushchev during his foreign visits. He exclaimed: “Beauty! Air! I’ll sleep in the open air.” In the morning we look - there is no living place on it! All bitten by mosquitoes!

- We read somewhere how difficult it was for you in Tashkent. They couldn’t find a hotel, so they beat everyone quickly and left.

It's 1980. In Tashkent, I successfully solved the problem. While the tennis players were waiting for rooms in a normal hotel, I found a tiny one right next to the courts. The inconveniences invigorated me - I didn’t lose a single set. I suffered through enough in Tallinn. The Spartakiad of the Peoples of the USSR took place there. In the middle of the tournament, we drove with Tarpishchev to Jurmala.

- For what?

Play Davis Cup with the Swedes. With different balls, on a different surface. The Latvians were rooting against us. To their joy, I lost to Borg. We return to Tallinn - I play five matches a day! Ten hours on the court! In the evening I barely crawled to the hotel, hungry... And I see my suitcases on the street.

- That is?

The Finns have arrived. And we were kicked out. Spent the night with friends.

AMERICAN CONSUL

- Anna Dmitrieva told us how you watch archival footage at Wimbledon on rainy days. And you laugh at yourself - how dense tennis was.

This is true in any sport, believe me.

- Nothing like this. Blokhin ran incredibly even by today's standards.

They let him run! And now five are near the ball, immediately covering it. Previously, basketball players taller than two meters could barely walk on the court. Today they are flying. You should have seen our shoes, rackets...

- Were rackets produced in the Union?

Two factories - in Tartu and Moscow. Playing is a torment for both. Switched to foreign ones. The director of the Moscow experimental factory was indignant: “Why are you ignoring ours?!” Someone looked at her: “Why is your coat imported? And a sweater with shoes?” This ended the dispute.

- Is your final match of Wimbledon 1973 preserved on film?

For Wimbledon's anniversary, all finalists were given discs. Before that I watched fragments.

- When Sergei Bondarchuk and Menshov received Oscars, they did not attach any importance to this. It seemed to them: this is the Cannes Film Festival - yes, a real prize. Did you understand at that moment that nothing could be cooler than Wimbledon?

Then - no. I had no doubt that there would still be a chance to win Wimbledon. I just didn't have enough experience. Kodesh had won Roland Garros twice before, and I only made it to the semi-finals. Although he often beat him. But how? Always in five sets! At Wimbledon, Kodesh escaped with match points from Taylor. That helped. This is what happens - if you get out of a difficult situation, the mood is different. The way is open.

- How much did you get for reaching the finals?

Nothing. We were given a choice in advance - either prize money or daily allowance. If you spent a month and a half in England, your daily allowance could be higher. And you will definitely get them. In addition, they usually paid extra for the hotel from their own.

When I went to the tournament in Rome for the first time, we couldn’t decide what to do with the prize money. To whom should I give it? I went to the sports games department of the Sports Committee. An outbuilding in the courtyard of Skatertny Lane, two rooms in the attic. I look around: this is where they lead sports games Soviet Union?!

- Who rudrove?

Valentin Sych. He said: “Let’s agree this way. 50 percent for us, 50 percent for you. But so that no one knows!” The last phrase plunged me into heavy thoughts. In Rome I won the round, the second, the third. A call from Skatertny Lane, they were monitoring my successes: “You leave yourself not 50 percent, but 20. But so that no one knows, remember.”

How to transport liras across the border? The tournament director helped convert them into dollars - he poured 5 and 10 dollar bills into the suitcase. What about customs? I have never been searched - what if they stop me now? Tell me what you verbally agreed on with Sych? Who will believe me?

- Was there a lot of money?

2 thousand dollars. Lucky, they didn't stop me.

- What's the most amazing prize you've ever been given?

In Adelaide, he won the Cup three times in a row - according to the regulations, it was handed over forever. Antique, silver. And they stole it from me! In Tbilisi they broke into the apartment and only took him away. After that it didn’t surface anywhere.

- In the 70s, our best chess player Karpov was allowed to buy a Mercedes. What did they allow the best tennis player to do?

At that time, in the Southern Port there was a line for damaged foreign cars, which were handed over by diplomats. And in 1974 they gave me a car. We were invited to the USA for a tournament. I don’t want to go, you won’t make money anyway. But the Americans were persistent. They asked: “What can I do for you?” And it dawned on me: “A car!”

- Competently. Comrade Sych will not take away 80 percent of the car.

He returned from the Central Committee with a piece of paper for customs: “Allowed to let an American car through.” They brought her to Leningrad.

- Some kind of Chevrolet?

Fabulous sports Ford Mustang. The Americans prepared it especially for me. Air conditioning, sunroof, automatic transmission... I drove behind the car and did not believe that everything would come true. I drove around Moscow for four days without license plates - they never stopped me! Then he drove it to Tbilisi.

- The only foreign car in Georgia?

No, we got caught. But old ones.

- There was definitely no such and such in the entire Union.

There was one, blue. Boris Spassky brought it from France. And in Moscow he resold it to Robert Bardzimashvili, the leader of the legendary Orera ensemble. Where Bregvadze and Kikabidze started.

- Could you have stayed in the West?

Theoretically - yes. Who would stop me? But I didn’t think about it. I felt great. At that time, Georgia was the best in the Union. Relative freedom. My wife and I traveled to the USA, for example. And to Australia. The others were not released separately.

Moscow officials were jealous. In 1968, my wife had her passport ready, and suddenly she got a call: “You can’t go with your wife.” A friend from Tbilisi advised me: go and get an American visa yourself. For yourself and for her.

- Went?

Yes. There is no one at the embassy. The Consul General came out to me: “Anything?” I explained. He gave me the documents: “When should I come?” - “Just a minute.” He slapped the seal himself and signed it.

- You didn’t think about running away abroad. Were there any offers?

No. Maybe they were waiting for me to take the initiative? Once in Australia I lived at home with the vice-president of the tennis federation. In the morning I hear noise and screams under the windows. I pull back the curtain - cameras! Correspondents!

- What's wrong?

Czech Holecek said that he did not want to return to Prague. Immediately there was a rumor about a refusenik, but they didn’t know his last name. They decided it was me. I had to go out: “We made a mistake, gentlemen.”

MISS NEW YORK

- In those years, our hockey players could not stand the Czech Nedomansky. Nasty, with arrogance.

Back then they also said: “The Soviet Union has two problems - Damansky and Nedomansky...”

- Who was the most repulsive in behavior in the tennis world?

Romanians Nastase and Ciriac. Nobody was friends with them. They even hated going to this Romania. It's unbearable to play. Crook! They imprisoned their judges - they did what they wanted. But Nastase treated me with respect. I listened. Over time, we found a common language. Even though we quarreled several times.

- Because of which?

We play mixed doubles. I'm with Morozova - he deliberately hit the girl with the ball. I got angry. Almost got into a fight.

- You also shouted at Morozova, “be healthy.”

Sometimes. He expressed displeasure.

- She answered years later. Describing your adventures with Miss New York in the book. Aren't you offended?

Olga did not know everything. Much is true. But I embellished something.

- Was Miss New York pretty?

Certainly. It's a small tournament in the States, but the strongest tennis players have gathered. Because it's just around the corner US Open . We sit in the club, play backgammon - Nastase, Connors, me... And the local coaches usually hover around. They are trying to show that they know everyone and are close to everyone.

One of these came up to Nastasa. He scared him: “Don’t you see, I’m busy!” He comes to Connors - and he is stern: “We play, and you pester.”

- Have you turned up here, a sympathetic Soviet citizen?

He intercepted me at the court: “They want to meet you.” Letting this girl down, Carol. I looked and was stunned: beauty! I laugh: “Why are you sending the trainer? Couldn’t you come up yourself?”

- Did you communicate with her later?

No. She became friends with Gerulaitis, an American tennis player. I think they got married. But the guy ended badly. Drugs.

- All of Europe in your stellar years was smoking marijuana. Do you remember the first time you encountered this?

In San Diego I'm getting a job at a hotel. A girl nearby: “What are you going to do now? Join us for brunch...” She lived next to the restaurant. We went to see her and saw a girl and a guy lying in the hall. Strange smell, smoke. I turn to this friend - she calmly replies: “Ah, we got high.” That's it, I think I'll get out of here.

- Was Connors inferior to your Romanian friend?

Yes. But we got along. In this sense, the Australians stood out on the good side. The guys are simple and friendly. After the games, the tennis players had dinner together. It’s impossible to imagine this today.

- Absolutely?

To have lunch with Becker, you need to call his agent, who will connect him with someone else until they reach Boris himself. He will wonder if he is ready.

- You were friends with Borg too. Did he come to the Union often?

Once - for that Davis Cup match in Jurmala. But I have been to veterans’ tournaments. In Tbilisi he was stunned: “For the first time in my life I cried when I lost to you at a tournament in England.” Well, I ask, were you silent before?!

- A crazy guy?

Young Borg drank exclusively milk. Not a drop of alcohol. But somehow I left for the Union, and a couple of weeks later we met in the States - Borg in a bar with Nastase, alcoholic cocktails in hands. It turned out that he lost at the tournament in Stockholm. Got upset.

I remember another incident. In Atlanta, Nastase calls my room: “Urgently go down to the restaurant, help! I’m flying to backgammon!” I arrive and he and Borg are sitting. Opposite there is some girl with her husband. Nastase loses.

- Did you help?

I played almost everything! There’s only a little bit left, but I say: “This is for a girl. It’s inconvenient.” Nastase did something weird at that tournament.

- How?

Must play with American Richie. A peculiar type, a little out of control. The color uniform has just been introduced. He warmed up and sweated. I changed into something striped. Nastase turned to the judge: “Will I step aside for a couple of minutes?” I went up to my room, put on my pajamas and returned to the court. If Richie plays whatever he wants, why can't he?

STALIN AND CAMPOMANES

- Has it ever happened that a guy is a fighter, a hero on the court, but off it he’s a jerk?

Chesnokov. In life and tennis - two different people. Andrey is soon 50, but he is an adult child. Some of his actions do not fit in my head. At 11 pm I called Naumko, my former coach, with the question: “Tatyana Fedorovna, can I eat some kefir?” He brought a dog to our transfer in his bag. I say: “Leave it in the office, the girls will keep an eye on it.” - “No! I’ll take it with me.” - “What if she starts barking on air?” I barely managed to persuade her to place her somewhere.

Another time, Chesnokov was supposed to commentate on the match on our channel. He was late, the report started without him. Finally, he appears with a bag, pulls out cheese, sausage, and bread. I was dumbfounded: “Andryusha, what is this?!” In response, a calm voice: “I didn’t have time to have breakfast. I’ll eat and get to work.” The fact that the broadcast is in full swing does not bother him.

- Estonian Tomas Leius is also an extraordinary person.

Yes, fate is incredible. Multiple champion of the USSR, in 1959 he was the first Soviet tennis player to win junior Wimbledon. But towards the end of his career, troubles began to fall. First, a traffic cop sued him. He stopped Leius's car, and he got angry and ran over his leg. Then he quarreled with his wife—it seems his third. And he strangled him.

- They say he was jealous of the famous director.

Dark business. Thomas said: “There was a scandal, I woke up - she was dead...” They sentenced him to eight years for murder in the heat of passion. Served three. At chemistry class I met a guy for whom I painted training program. He prepared him in such a way that, upon his release, he became the champion of the Union in cycling!

- Fantastic.

When Leius was released, no one in Estonia would hire him. And I was already the Deputy Minister of Sports in Georgia and invited him to join us. He worked at the Telavi tennis center and headed the Georgian national team. Both he and his wife really enjoyed it.

- The fourth?

Yes. This marriage turned out to be successful, we are still together today. After the collapse of the Union they returned to their homeland. When the centenary of the Estonian Tennis Federation was celebrated, I came to Tallinn. I admired the beauty and neatness of the city. Thomas’s wife grinned: “Alik, I can’t forget Telavi!”

- In Georgia you were the deputy minister of sports. Funny stories certainly did not pass by.

For five years he supervised all sports in the republic, with the exception of wrestling, boxing and rowing. Not far from Borjomi, a chess match took place between Chiburdanidze and Akhmylovskaya. FIDE President Campomanes arrives and I meet him at the airport. A bypass road has been opened near Gori. Campomanes became interested: “What kind of city?” - “Burn.” He perked up: “Where was Stalin born? I won’t leave here until I drink to him!”

- What a person.

I foresaw this trick - I warned the secretary of the district committee, my comrade: we will pass by. There may be surprises. We stopped at the restaurant of the Intourist Hotel. They put out the wine glasses. Campomanes raises his own and looks at the light: “Drink from such a small glass for Stalin?! Bring another!” They searched and searched and brought a vase. Drank. Repeated. He doesn’t want to get up anymore! Either for Stalin, or for someone else. Then he wanted to inspect Stalin’s house. They opened it especially for him. It's opposite Intourist, cross the road.

- How did the wonderful evening end?

Someone from the district committee runs to me: “Near Borjomi, the pioneers were taken out onto the highway. The wind is cold, the poor children are waiting for Campomanes. When will you be there?” - “I have no idea. I can’t lift it!” I barely got it into the car. They brought it, the table was set, but Campomanes could no longer eat or drink. He didn’t even go out to the pioneers.

- Is the Stalin Museum open in Gori now?

Certainly. Under Saakashvili, the monument was demolished. Now they are restoring. Well, that's right. I am not a Stalinist, but in Gori there should be a monument to a man whom the whole world knows.

POSSUM ON HEAD

- If Sharapova had grown up in Russia, what kind of tennis player would she have become?

Whether she would have played better or worse, I don’t dare to guess. But Masha’s earnings would be much more modest. Today, parents rushed to mold their daughters into new Sharapovs. Not understanding the risk this entails. The point is not that only a few make it into the elite. Professional tennis is a colossal burden on nervous system. If guys are accompanied by girlfriends at tournaments, then it is difficult for a girl to find a companion who is ready to travel around the world with her. Hence the distortions in sexual orientation, mental problems, unsettled destinies...

Dmitrieva’s words about Kim Clijsters, at that time the first racket of the world, are etched in my memory. Before taking a break from her career and starting a family, she shared her dream of cleaning windows at home. This is normal for a woman! Men are built differently. We have a different psychology. If a car tries to pull ahead at a traffic light, it means a man is driving. A woman would never do that.

- You are observant.

I'll say more. So I watch women’s tennis and ask myself: “Which of the girls enjoys the game?” No answer!

- And Sharapova?

Well, back and forth... Although these screams! A person won’t yell like that for no reason at all. There is probably some discomfort. However, Masha stands out from the general background for her fighting character and ability to control herself.

- Have you talked?

Few. She is unsociable. And he avoids Russian journalists.

- Dmitrieva said how rudely Sharapova’s father behaves.

We hardly touched. In my opinion, no one liked him in the tennis world. He constantly interfered in everything, reacted nervously to every little thing. I remember when Masha played at Wimbledon as a girl, he became noisy. For some reason he shouted in Spanish. Always behaved strangely. Maybe echoes of a difficult period for the family, until Masha started earning money. Her father has not appeared at tournaments for a very long time.

- Did you see any foxes at Wimbledon?

England is full of them. In the morning they run across the lawns. They rummage through trash cans. Everyone is used to them. The owner of the cottage we rented told how he came home one day to find a fox lying in the bed.

- Surprise.

She got sick and came to people on purpose. To be cured. The man took her to the veterinarians. When she came to her senses, he released her. But in Melbourne there is another problem. I have a friend Gianni. An Italian playwright, he writes plays and has been covering Grand Slam tournaments for many years. Somehow on Australian Open the matches ended late, Gianni wandered through the park towards the hotel. He stopped near a tree to relieve himself. There was a possum sitting on a branch above. He decided that someone was marking his territory - and fell out of the darkness onto the playwright’s head. That was almost enough. It took me a week to come to my senses.

- Besides Chesnokov and the dog, did any other surprises arise before the broadcast?

Dmitrieva and I flew to Melbourne with a landing in Sydney. There was a difference of 30 minutes between these cities then. The clocks were changed, but were based on Sydney time. In Melbourne they didn’t immediately realize that we were late for the game. We rushed to the commentary position. We go in - there is no connection, the phone does not work. The start of a major tournament is an eternal hassle. Okay, I say, I'm behind the technician. Then I understand that I can’t go out. The door is jammed. I could knock him out with my shoulder, but I can’t make any noise - my colleagues are reporting nearby. Of course, it was all my fault...

- What did you come up with?

He moved the table, climbed up, climbed over. I opened the lock from the other side. I found a technician. The broadcast began with a slight delay.

And at the US Open Trouble happened to Anya. She climbed into the cabin, wrote something as she walked, and tripped over the cable with her foot. While falling, I was afraid to drop my glasses. They survived, but she fell so hard that her lips and nose bled and she broke a tooth. Hearing the screams, I rushed down; one of our guys was already rushing to her aid. Anya, even at such a moment, maintained her composure: “Alik, don’t worry about me. I’m going to the first aid station, you go to work. Ten minutes until the broadcast.”

- Bravo.

The problem is that it's opening day. We agreed in advance that the program was drawn up by Anya, and I was responsible for organizational and economic issues. I go into the cabin and understand: I don’t have any notes with me. What to talk about? Somehow I got out.

Or this story. We are flying from Sheremetyevo - Anya, her husband Mitya and me. I have the passports. I gave them two and went to border control. They quickly slapped a seal on me, I’m waiting for them to appear. Suddenly he was seething, Mitya was wrapped up. It turns out he has someone else's passport.

- Whose?

My. We got confused. It turned out that I passed Mitya’s passport, although I don’t look like him at all, and besides, he’s bald! And he came across a vigilant young lady-border guard. I go to her and explain the situation. After much bickering, Mitya was finally allowed through. But they rejoiced early.

- Why?

I don't have a stamp in my passport. How can you return to Russia without him? I went to this girl again, she insisted: “I won’t put a stamp!” They called the boss, he laughed and settled everything in ten seconds.

FOR TROUT

- Did you comment on anything besides tennis?

Once - football. At the dawn of NTV Plus, together with Vasya Utkin. I love football, but I don’t think I understand it professional level. Therefore there was no continuation.

- Record-long broadcast?

At the Australian Open - about twelve o'clock. The day session dragged on, the evening session went on without a break, and last match ended at 5 am. It's hard, but I'm used to it. At Grand Slam tournaments the schedule is such that there is no time to rush to the toilet. Ending the broadcast at 2 - 3 am is the norm. Newsmen leave the stadium even later - they finish their report and run to the press conference.

- So much tennis in your life - and you’re not bored?

No! I'm still interested! Especially when I come to tournaments, I meet old friends. Unlike other channels, we always try to comment from the scene. You are in the thick of it, watching the struggle from the inside. I feel sorry for the colleagues who are forced to work from the studio “under the picture.” They don’t see anything except the monitor. The only source of information is the Internet.

It’s true that it’s unclear what’s next for our channel. Many were laid off. My contract has been extended until September 2015. From broadcasts on next year so far the Davis Cup and the Federation Cup remain. If there is no work, I will leave for Tbilisi.

- What will you do?

Yes, at least I’ll start growing flowers. Seriously! When it was impossible to buy anything from us, I brought roses from Spain, Portugal, and France. Everyone got used to it.

- Every person has a spark of madness. Haven't you extinguished yours?

It depends on what you compare it to. There are some actions I would not repeat today.

- For example?

Here's a story from the 80s. I didn't play anymore. On November 6, we gathered with friends for lunch. One of them suggested a fish restaurant in the Tbilisi Sea area. At 12 noon the four of us drove off in a Mustang. We didn’t like something and decided to move to another place. We sat, had a snack and a drink. I hear: “We’re going to Ijevan. They bring gorgeous trout there from Sevan...”

- This is Armenia.

Absolutely right. Near. We stayed there, then someone came up with an idea: “Sevan is nearby. That’s where the freshest fish is.” We moved towards Sevan, but never reached it.

- Why?

We stopped at a roadside restaurant. Friends are already tipsy, they invite the ladies to dance. And they are not alone. Realizing how this could end, I turn my head: “Guys, don’t be angry...” The Armenians recognized me: “Oh, Alik! What fate?” The tables were immediately combined, we continued to rest. At five o'clock in the morning we were invited to Yerevan: “We will continue the banquet there.”

- Powerful.

But here reason prevailed. On November 7 there is a demonstration in Tbilisi, our column opens it. I loaded my friends into the Mustang and headed back. Gasoline is low, gas stations are closed. We barely made it to Tbilisi. And there was panic in the city; the wives, having lost us for a day, put everyone on edge. At home I managed to shave, take a shower, and run to the demonstration. After it, they wanted to rush to Telavi as a group. But there is no Mustang. Everything was searched - as if through the earth.

- Stolen?

No, I left the keys with a friend - the city prosecutor. He drove somewhere and couldn’t remember where he left the car. Found in the evening.

- Are you happy?

It's a sin to complain. Only 70 somehow crept up unexpectedly. For some reason last years flew by very quickly. Previously, looking at a 60-year-old, I thought: “A very old man!” Now I console myself with the thought that medicine has stepped far forward and even at 80 allows you to active image life.